basic’s to a saltwater fish tank?
okay, so my mom and i decided to go and buy some supplies for a saltwater fish tank..
i can done some research and frankly, i understand that there would be some things i’d defintely need for my salt water fish tank..
hydrometer, thermometer, heater, skimmer, and a powerhead
can someone please explain to me what these items are and whether or not i REALLY need them.. my mom and i have a budget and i’m not trying to spend to much buying things that i’d wouldnt need..
also, i have a tall 20 gallon fish tank, i was planing on just getting two orange clown fish ..
again, if theres anything else i didn’t include on the list, please let me know
any advice is welcomed ;]
here is an image of the stuff i already have, from my fresh water fish tank..
http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/4196/p1070875jp4.jpg
as you can see, i alreayd have a filter, an air pump and to my guessing a powerhead? i’m not quite sure what is the last one actually haha
You appear to have a filter, power head and aerator, to be frank there are limited options for a 20 gallon tank, you can have fire fish, a few select basslets, a few select dotty backs and a few breeds of goby’s that can live in a 20 as well, and that is about it, saltwater fish need more room to swim, if you can browse craigslist or free cycle, a 30-55 gallon tank is not hard to come by, that 10+ extra gallons will give you a much wider variety like clowns, damsels, mandarins (when the tank is fully mature) dwarf angels,
you will need a 2 inch live sand bed, a filter with dual cartridge and bio wheels rated for saltwater (I recommend anything by marineland), a saltwater rated lighting system and heater, 50-60 pounds of live rock (you buy this slow and after the tank has cycled) you will need a hydrometer and instant ocean sea salt, saltwater testing kits and most importantly a good book and web sight like http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
a hydrometer will measure salinity
a skimmer will take out organic matter
thermometer will help you keep the water at 80-82o
power head gives good water flow
I will have to be honest, saltwater is not a cheap endeavor.
I just gave away a fully mature 75 gallon saltwater setup
all they had to buy was a skimmer, their test kits and fish, they have already spent close to a grand, and they already had the tank, rock, sand, heater, filter…if you are on a budget, this may not be the thing for you…salt you will need every few weeks at 20+ dollars a bag, a master test kit is close to 50 bucks, live rock is 8-15 dollars per pound, you will need at least 1 pound per gallon and the fish start at around 6 dollars, and they are the cheapest, the clowns go anywhere from 20-50 dollars per fish (which need 30 gallons anyways) good luck in what every you decide to do..and
FIY…I am not trying to be Johnny Rain Cloud, I am being realistic.
Fist off, I would only recommend getting one clownfish; they are very territorial and will fight constantly if there are more than one. Other damsels are generally fine to put with your clownfish and will give you a choice of fish with different colors and body shapes.
The filter you have in the picture should be fine. You will also need an undergravel filter with a small powerhead attached. I’m not sure if that is a powerhead in your picture, it doesn’t look like any of the traditional ones that I’ve seen. A powerhead is basically just a water pump. You don’t need a skimmer, I have a 29 gallon tank that has:
Heater
Mechanical Filter (the one that hangs on the back)
Undergravel filter w/powerhead
Hydrometer and thermometer
Hood with light (I recommend a full-spectrum light which replicates sunlight)
Gravel and decorations, and that’s about it.
Check out my free website for more detailed information on setting up and maintaining a saltwater tank: http://www.saltwaterfishfacts.com
References :
Learn to setup and maintain a saltwater fish tank at http://www.saltwaterfishfacts.com
You appear to have a filter, power head and aerator, to be frank there are limited options for a 20 gallon tank, you can have fire fish, a few select basslets, a few select dotty backs and a few breeds of goby’s that can live in a 20 as well, and that is about it, saltwater fish need more room to swim, if you can browse craigslist or free cycle, a 30-55 gallon tank is not hard to come by, that 10+ extra gallons will give you a much wider variety like clowns, damsels, mandarins (when the tank is fully mature) dwarf angels,
you will need a 2 inch live sand bed, a filter with dual cartridge and bio wheels rated for saltwater (I recommend anything by marineland), a saltwater rated lighting system and heater, 50-60 pounds of live rock (you buy this slow and after the tank has cycled) you will need a hydrometer and instant ocean sea salt, saltwater testing kits and most importantly a good book and web sight like http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
a hydrometer will measure salinity
a skimmer will take out organic matter
thermometer will help you keep the water at 80-82o
power head gives good water flow
I will have to be honest, saltwater is not a cheap endeavor.
I just gave away a fully mature 75 gallon saltwater setup
all they had to buy was a skimmer, their test kits and fish, they have already spent close to a grand, and they already had the tank, rock, sand, heater, filter…if you are on a budget, this may not be the thing for you…salt you will need every few weeks at 20+ dollars a bag, a master test kit is close to 50 bucks, live rock is 8-15 dollars per pound, you will need at least 1 pound per gallon and the fish start at around 6 dollars, and they are the cheapest, the clowns go anywhere from 20-50 dollars per fish (which need 30 gallons anyways) good luck in what every you decide to do..and
FIY…I am not trying to be Johnny Rain Cloud, I am being realistic.
References :